Grading machine for beans and other objects

ABSTRACT

A grader for beans and other products including a generally horizontal drum defined by spaced alternating fixed and movable grader bars oriented to define a cylindrical shell, said fixed and movable grader bars being of a predetermined configuration so that mechanism for pivoting the movable grader bars varies the spacing between said fixed and movable grader bars to provide equal spaces between each movable grader bar and the adjacent fixed grader bars on opposite sides thereof in all pivotal positions of said movable grader bars. A grader drum having fixed and movable grader bars oriented as described above for use in a grader.

11] 3,831,752 [4n Aug. 27, 1974 [5 GRADING MACHINE FOR BEANS AND I OTHER OBJECTS [75] Inventor: Robert L. Holloway, Snyder, NY.

[73] Assignee: Chisholm-Ryder Company, Inc.,

Niagara Falls, NY.

3,241,667 3/1966 Grosbety 209/394 Primary Examiner-Harrison L. Hinson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Josephl P. Gastel [57] ABSTRACT A grader for beans and other products including a generally horizontal drum defined by spaced alternating fixed and movable grader bars oriented to define a cylindrical shell, said fixed and movable grader bars being of a predetermined configuration so that mechanism for'pivoting the movable grader bars varies the spacing between said fixed and movable grader bars to provide equal spaces between each movable grader bar and the adjacent fixed grader bars on opposite sides thereof in all pivotal positions of said movable grader bars. A grader drum having fixed and movable grader bars oriented as described above for use in a grader.

13 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures GRADING MACHINE FOR BEANS AND OTHER OBJECTS The present invention relates to an improved grading machine for beans and other elongated objects and the present invention also relates to an improved grader drum which can replace drums on existing grader machines in the field.

By way of background, grading machines are currently in use for grading beans and other elongated objects such as asparagus. In machines of this type the articles to be graded are fed into a generally horizontally disposed rotating drum having openings in the surface thereof through which articles below a predetermined size drop into a hopper below the drum, with the remainder of the articles above the predetermined size passing out of the end of the drum.

In the past, a number of different types of graders have been in use. One type included a generally cylindrical drum having a shell fabricated from substantially parallel bars which were adjustable only by stopping the grader and physically reorienting each of the bars individually. This involved a considerable effort in setting up the machine for grading of different sizes of objects. Another type of machine included hollow deformable bars defining the outer shell of a cylindrical drum with deflecting mechanism within the bars which could deform them in response to a predetermined setting of the machine so as to cause the spaces between such deformable bars and fixed bars adjacent thereto to be of any predetermined size. However, machines of the foregoing type required complicated mechanism for deforming the bars, which was costly. Furthermore, openings in the deformable bars could serve as focal points for the collection of bacteria inasmuch as such bars could not be easily cleaned. It is with the overcoming of the foregoing deficiencies of prior types of grading machines that the present invention is concerned.

It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provide an improved grader and an improved drum therefore which includes fixed and movable solid grader bars with mechanism for pivoting the movable grader bars so as to adjust the distances between them and the fixed grader bars without requiring disassembly of the machine, thereby permitting the machine to be universally adjustable as desired in an extremely simple and expedient manner.

Another object ofthe present invention is to provide an improved grader which will provide equal spaces between each movable grader bar and the adjacent fixed grader bars on opposite sides thereof by merely pivoting the movable grader bar.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved grader and a grader drum therefor in which the adjustable grader bars of the drum have continuous surfaces so as to permit the drum to be washed without any possibility that foodstuffs and other debris could collect within openings of such grader bars, thereby providing improved sanitation along with the aforementioned adjustability. Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will readily be perceived hereafter.

The improved grader of the present invention comprises a base, a drum having a generally horizontal longitudinal axis rotatably mounted on said base, means for rotating said drum about said longitudinal axis, first and second grader bar means interspersed in spaced alternating relationship and defining the outer shell of said drum and extending substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, first surfaces on adjacent first grader bar means, second surfaces on each of said second grader bar means, and means for effecting continuous pivotal movement of said second grader bar means through a predetermined range to vary the spacing between said first and second surfaces at the lower portion of said drum and to cause the closest distance between said second surfaces and said first surfaces adjacent thereto to always be equal at corresponding pivotal positions of said second grader bar means.

The improved grader drum of the present invention comprises first and second annular end plates, first and second grader bar means interspersed in alternating re lationship and defining the shell of said drum, said first grader bar means having opposite ends rigidly affixed to said first and second end plates, first surfaces on adjacent first fixed grader bar means, second surfaces on each of said second grader bar means, opposite ends on said second grader bar means, means pivotally mounted said opposite ends of said second grader bar means on said first and second end plates so as to pivot said second grader bar means through a predetermined range so as to vary the spacing between said first and second surfaces and to cause the closest distance between each one of said second surfaces and each one of said first surfaces adjacent thereto to always be equal at corresponding pivotal positions of said second grader bar means.

The various aspects of the present invention will be more fully understood when the following portions of the specification are read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. I is a side elevational view of the improved grader of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of from the right of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken in the direction of line 3A-3A of FIG. 2 and showing the grader bars at the top of the drum and also showing the mechanism for pivoting the movable grader bars and their relationship to the remainder of the drum;

FIG. 3B is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 3B-3B of FIG. 2 and showing generally the same subject matter as shown in FIG. 3A except with the grader bars occupying a position at the lower portion of the drum;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the cam track which governs the positions of the movable grader bars;

the grader taken FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cam track of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6A is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 6A-6A of FIG. 3A and showing the positions of the cam follower rollers and related structure at the upper portion of the drum;

FIG. 6B is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 68-68 of FIG. 3B and showing the positions occupied by the cam follower rollers and related mechanism at the lower portion of the drum;

FIG. 7A is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 7A-7A of FIG. 3A and showing the orientation between the movable grader bars and the fixed grader bars at the upper portion of the drum; and

FIG. 7B is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along line 7B7B and showing the orientation between the fixed grader bars and the movable grader bars at the lower portion of the drum.

While grader of the present invention will be described relative to the grading of beans, such as snap beans, it will be appreciated that it can also be used to grade asparagus and other elongated vegetables. Furthermore, the snap beans can be graded either before or after snipping.

The improved grader 10 of the present invention includes a base 11 consisting of spaced frame members 12 and 13 connected to each other by horizontal bar members 14. The lower portion of frame member 12 is formed into legs 15 and the lower portion of frame member 13 is formed into similar legs 15' having adjustable feet 17 secured thereto to permit varying the elevation of frame member 11 to thereby adjust the horizontal inclination of grading cylinder or drum 16.

As well understood, annular grading drum 16 is rotated about its longitudinal axis during operation of the grader. To this end the outer circular surfaces of annular end plates 17 and 18 of drum 16 are mounted on rollers 19 and 20, respectively. More specifically, end plate 17 is mounted on a pair of spaced rollers 19 and end plate 18 is mounted on a pair of spaced rollers 20 which are analogous to rollers 19. Each set of rollers 19-20 is mounted on a shaft 21 which is journalled for rotation between frame members 12 and 13. Rollers 19 are driven by a chain 22 which encircles them and sprocket 23 connected to motor-reducer unit 24 mounted on shelf 25 suitably attached to frame member 13. The drum 16 is interchangeable with other types of drums in the field.

Annular end plates 17 and 18 are rigidly secured as by screws to the opposite ends of fixed grader bars 26. Equidistantly circumferentially spaced movable grader bars 27 are interspersed in alternating relationship with equidistantly circumferentially spaced fixed grader bars 26, and bars 27 have their opposite ends journalled for rotation in end plates 17 and 18. More specifically, each movable grader bar 27 has a shaft portion 28 journalled in a bearing 29 in end plate 17. The opposite end of each movable grader bar 27 includes a shaftportion 30 which is journalled in bearing 31 in end plate 18. Spacer washers 32 and 33 are mounted on shaft portions 28 and 30, respectively, to keep movable grader bar 27 in properly spaced relationship to end plates 17 and 18. Grader bars 26 and 27 are oriented on plates 17 and 18 so as to define a substantially annular cylindrical shell of drum 16.

By way of brief preview, beans or the like which are to be graded are dumped into annular feed hopper assembly 34 which is suitably secured by neck 35 to end plate 17. The beans will pass from hopper 35 into grading drum 16 which is rotating. Beans below a predetermined diameter will drop into discharge chute 36 by passing through the spaces 37 (FIG. 78) between the movable grader bars 27 and the fixed grader bars 26. Those beans which cannot pass through spaces 37 will move through drum 16 from left to right in FIG. 1 and will be discharged from annular discharge chute 38 secured to end plate 18.

Spaces 37 denote the minimum size spaces between side walls 39 of adjacent fixed grader bars 26 and the closest corner portions 40 of movable grader bar 27 located therebetween. These spaces 37 are obtained between the movable and fixed grader bars in the lower portion of the grading drum, whereas maximum size spaces 41 are obtained between the grader bars at the upper portion of the drum 16. The foregoing variation in the size of the spaces is obtained by a construction which varies the size of the spaces 37 from the minimum shown in FIG. 78 to the maximum spacing 41 shown in FIG. 7A as drum 16 rotates. Therefore, if beans to be graded pass partially through spaces 37 and are stuck there, they will be released and will drop downwardly when spaces 37 open to the size of spaces 41 at the top of the drum.

In order to automatically vary the spacing between the size of spaces 37 and the size of spaces 41, an arm 42 is mounted on fluted portion 43 of each shaft 30 at the end of each movable grader bar 27, and arm 42 is secured in proper position by a screw 44 which extends through spaced end portions 45. The opposite end of each arm 42 journals shaft 46 which mounts roller 47 which is biased into engagement with the surface of cam track 48 by spring 49 having an end 50 locked into bore 51 of end plate 18 and its opposite end 52 pressing against the side of arm 42. It will therefore be appreciated that as drum 16 is driven in the direction of arrow 50', rollers 47 will follow cam track 48 and pivot movable grader bars 27 accordingly. A guide housing 18 is mounted on end plate 18 and covers all of the equidistantly circumferentially spaced rollers 47 except for the few which can be viewed through window 20.

Cam track 48 includes an upper cylindrical surface 53 and a lower frustoconical surface 54 and merging surfaces 55 therebetween. Surface 53 is of a smaller radius than surface 54. Therefore, when cam follower rollers 47 are located on surface 53, movable grader bars 27 will occupy the orientation shown in FIG. 7A and when they move outwardly onto surface 54, shafts 30 will be pivoted in a clockwise direction about their axes, as viewed in FIGS. 6A and 68 so as to orient movable grader bars 27 into the position shown in FlG. 7B. Thus, the maximum size spaces 41 will be obtained between the ends of transition surfaces 55 while rollers 47 are in engagement with surface 53 of cam track 48, and the minimum size spaces 37 will be obtained when rollers 47 are in engagement with frustoconical surface 54.

The size of minimum spaces 37 may be varied while the grader 16 is in operation. In this respect, cam track 48 is mounted on slide 55 which includes upwardly extending spaced arms 56 to which cam track 48 is attached. Slide 55 includes a dove-tail base portion 57 which is received in complementary mating engagement in table 57 secured to frame member 12. A hand wheel 58 is secured to a threaded shaft 59 which is suitably journalled for rotation, but fixed against axial movement. beneath table 57 and is threaded into block 60 affixed to the underside of slide 55. Thus, when hand wheel 58 is rotated, slide 55 will move left or right in F 1G. 1 to carry cam track 48 with it in the direction of arrow 61 of FIGS. 3A and 3B. Thus, roller 47 will be positioned along frustoconical surface 54 between a point of minimum radius 62 and a point of maximum radius 63. When rollers 47 are on the point of minimum radius 62, the size of spaces 37 will be at a maximum, and when rollers 47 are on a point of maximum radius 63, the size of spaces 37 will be at a minimum. As noted above, the size of spaces 37 may be continuously varied while the grader 10 is in operation by manipulating hand wheel 58. By way of example, one setting of cam track 48 will provide the size opening designated by numeral 37 with a solid lead line and another setting will provide the opening designated by numeral 37 with a dotted lead line, and there are an infinite number of settings which can be obtained.

At this point it is to be again noted that'the size of spaces 37 will be determined by the axial position of rollers 47 on cam surface 54. However, when the rol lers 4-7 are on cylindrical surface 53, movable grader bars 27 will always occupy the positions shown in FIG. 7A with the sides 67 of rectangular movable grader bars 27 parallel to sides 39 of fixed grader bars 26 so that there will be a maximum spacing between the sides of movable grader bar 27 and sides 39. This size will always be the same regardless of the setting of the cam track 48. It will also be noted that because of the geometry of the grader bars, the single act of rotation of movable grader bar 27 will produce two spaces 37 which are equal to each other between each pair of adjacent fixed grader bars 26.

Fixed grader bars 26 are of generally isosceles triangular cross section with the facing sides 39 of adjacent bars 26 parallel to the radius 65 extending through the pivotal axis of the movable grader bar 27 located between adjacent bars 26. Furthermore, the altitude of each isosceles triangle coincides with a radius 66 of the drum. Because of the foregoing configuration of fixed grader bars 26, drum 16 will have the advantage of being extremely rigid considering that the ends of the bars 26 are rigidly affixed to the end plates 17 and 18, as by screws. Furthermore, because fixed bars 26 are solid, as are movable bars 27, the grader drum 16 will have a high degree of grading accuracy in operation because the bars will not deflect appreciably under load. lt will be appreciated however that bars 26 and 27 may be hollow and still have continuous peripheries.

In addition to the foregoing advantages, since there is no mechanism for deforming bars 26 or 27 to provide the size opening therebetween, as in prior structures, the operation of the grader is reliable, and in addition there are no springs or other parts which could drop off into the product being graded. Furthermore, because bars 26 and 27 are solid and have a continuous periphery, they can be washed easily and do not provide openings which can be focal points for the accumulation of bacteria. Also, any beans or other products which are caught between the corners of movable bar 27 and side surfaces 39 will be readily released when the orientation of FIG. 7A is obtained because there are no openings or deformities on which the beans can catch.

It can thus be seen that the improved grader of the present invention is manifestly capable of achieving the above enumerated objects and while a preferred embodiment has been disclosed, it will be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto but can be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

ll. A grader comprising a base, a drum having a generally horizontal longitudinal axis rotatably mounted on said base, means for rotating said drum about said longitudinal axis, first and second grader bar means interspersed in spaced alternating relationship and defining the outer shell of said drum, first surfaces on said first grader bar means, a pair of second surfaces on each of said second grader bar means, means for varying the distances between said first and second grader bar means as said drum'rotates from relatively large distances at the upper portion of said drum to relatively small distances at the lower portion of said drum including means for effecting continuous pivotal movement of said second grader bar means through a predetermined range at the lower portion of said drum so as to vary the distances between each of said first surfaces and each of said second surfaces adjacent thereto, said first and second surfaces being of a configuration to cause the distances on opposite sides of each of said second grader bar means between each of said second surfaces of each of said second grader bar means and each of said first surfaces adjacent thereto to always be equal to each other in all pivotal positions of said second grader bar means.

2. A grader as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first surfaces of adjacent first grader bar means are substantially parallel to each other.

3. A grader as set forth in claim 2 wherein said second grader bar means comprise members which are elongated in a direction radially of said drum, and means for mounting said members for pivotal movement about a pivot axis which is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis and lies on a radius of said drum.

4. A grader as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pivot axis is located equidistantly from said first surfaces.

5. A grader asset forth in claim 4 wherein said first grader bar means are substantially in the form of portions of isosceles triangles having their apices located on radii of said drum so that said radii essentially bisects, said portions of said triangles.

6. A grader as set forth in claim 5 wherein said second grader bar means are of rectangular solid configuration in cross section.

7. A grader as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second grader bar means have continuous outer peripheries.

8. A grader drum comprising first and second spaced annular end plates, first and second grader bar means interspersed in alternating relationship and defining the shell of said drum, said first grader bar means having opposite ends rigidly affixed to said first and second end plates, first surfaces on said first grader bar means, a pair of second surfaces on each of said second grader bar means, opposite ends on said second grader bar means, means pivotally mounting said opposite ends of said second grader bar means on said first and second end plates, and means for pivoting said second grader bar means through a predetermined range so as to vary the minimum distances between said first and second grader bar means, said first and second surfaces being of a configuration to cause the distances on opposite sides of each of said second grader bar means between each one of said second surfaces and each one of said first surfaces adjacent thereto to always be equal to each other in all pivotal positions of said second grader bar means.

9. A grader drum as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first surfaces of adjacent first grader bar means are substantially parallel to each other.

10. A grader drum as set forth in claim 9 wherein each of said second grader bar means pivot about an axis which is located equidistantly between adjacent surfaces of adjacent first grader bar means.

said second grader bar means are of rectangular solid configuration in cross section.

13. A grader drum as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first and second grader bar means having continuous o'uter peripheries. 

1. A grader comprising a base, a drum having a generally horizontal longitudinal axis rotatably mounted on said base, means for rotating said drum about said longitudinal axis, first and second grader bar means interspersed in spaced alternating relationship and defining the outer shell of said drum, first surfaces on said first grader bar means, a pair of second surfaces on each of said second grader bar means, means for varying the distances between said first and second grader bar means as said drum rotates from relatively large distances at the upper portion of said drum to relatively small distances at the lower portion of said drum including means for effecting continuous pivotal movement of said second grader bar means through a predetermined range at the lower portion of said drum so as to vary the distances between each of said first surfaces and each of said second surfaces adjacent thereto, said first and second surfaces being of a configuration to cause the distances on opposite sides of each of said second grader bar means between each of said second surfaces of each of said second grader bar means and each of said first surfaces adjacent thereto to always be equal to each other in all pivotal positions of said second grader bar means.
 2. A grader as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first surfaces of adjacent first grader bar means are substantially parallel to each other.
 3. A grader as set forth in claim 2 wherein said second grader bar means comprise members which are elongated in a direction radially of said drum, and means for mounting said members for pivotal movement about a pivot axis which is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis and lies on a radius of said drum.
 4. A grader as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pivot axis is located equidistantly from said first surfaces.
 5. A grader as set forth in claim 4 wherein said first grader bar means are substantially in the form of portions of isosceles triangles having their apices located on radii of said drum so that said radii essentially bisects said portions of said triangles.
 6. A grader as set forth in cLaim 5 wherein said second grader bar means are of rectangular solid configuration in cross section.
 7. A grader as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second grader bar means have continuous outer peripheries.
 8. A grader drum comprising first and second spaced annular end plates, first and second grader bar means interspersed in alternating relationship and defining the shell of said drum, said first grader bar means having opposite ends rigidly affixed to said first and second end plates, first surfaces on said first grader bar means, a pair of second surfaces on each of said second grader bar means, opposite ends on said second grader bar means, means pivotally mounting said opposite ends of said second grader bar means on said first and second end plates, and means for pivoting said second grader bar means through a predetermined range so as to vary the minimum distances between said first and second grader bar means, said first and second surfaces being of a configuration to cause the distances on opposite sides of each of said second grader bar means between each one of said second surfaces and each one of said first surfaces adjacent thereto to always be equal to each other in all pivotal positions of said second grader bar means.
 9. A grader drum as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first surfaces of adjacent first grader bar means are substantially parallel to each other.
 10. A grader drum as set forth in claim 9 wherein each of said second grader bar means pivot about an axis which is located equidistantly between adjacent surfaces of adjacent first grader bar means.
 11. A grader drum as set forth in claim 10 wherein said first grader bar means are substantially in the form of portions of isosceles triangles having their apices located on radii of said drum so that said radii essentially bisect said portions of said triangles.
 12. A grader drum as set forth in claim 11 wherein said second grader bar means are of rectangular solid configuration in cross section.
 13. A grader drum as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first and second grader bar means having continuous outer peripheries. 